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I agree that it is a fair comparison, but I also think the division and the system are a big part of it.

In 2008, the Patriots went 11-5 with Matt Cassel at the helm. How many times has Eli Manning won 11 games or more? Only twice by my recollection. This isn't to compare Eli to Brady, but Matt fricken Cassel managed 11 wins in that division and offensive scheme.

And every single year the Patriots are better than the Dolphins, Bills, and Jets. What does that say really?

They went 11-5 with Matt Cassel the year after they went 16-0 during the regular season with Tom Brady. That is a huge drop off and helps illustrate how great Tom Brady is.

Yeah your right I was just getting sick of the Brady praise lol. He is definitely top 5 all time, I still have Joe ahead though, losing sb doesn't count. Jim kelly never got credit for making it to the sb 4 years in a row.

Of course he did. Jim Kelly went to HOF on the 1st time ballot. Jim Kelly was an awesome QB.

ESPN is all about making comparisons, itís what they do and what gets attention from fans. But saying that I think itís not that farfetched. The NFL was a different game when Joe played, rule changes have done that. But itís still the NFL and the best players play in this league. In my opinion Joe Montana was the best qb ever; they didn't call him Joe cool for nothing. Watching him play in the super bowls was like watching someone play catch in the back yard, nothing fazed him. Joe Montana is the only player to be named Super Bowl MVP 3 times, so when it comes to winning the bar is set at Joe Montana.

Now to Tom Brady, he plays very similar to Montana, has great accuracy, pocket presence, and he wins.. Except against us (Giants) Tom Brady could retire today and would easily be in the conversation as a top 5 qb all time. It seems every year the Patriots are in the hunt in the playoffs, and a big part of that is because of Tom Brady. Everyone is so amazed by how good that offense is, no matter who they plug in at skilled positions. But it all starts and ends with Tom Brady. So in conclusion I think itís a fair comparison...

It seems theyre in the hunt for playoffs every year? I'm pretty sure they only missed the playoffs once while Brady was actually starting (not counting the year with Cassel)

Its an extremely fair comparison. Brady is an outstanding QB and one of the rare greats. He's not quite as good under pressure as Joe was, but he's still very much up there with him as far as overall QB talent. The comparison is valid IMO.

a San Francisco Newspaper actually started that debate (saw it on NFLN Around the League)

both went to Michigan also.

what I hate is that the AFCE is weak as brittle glass. the Patriots are 20 times the best team than any other in that Div.

never the less Tom is a good QB, if the Ravens get after him and put him on his back a few times, he has a tendency to get pedestrian...some of us Giants fans know that well.

Joe went to Notre Dame. Remember Joe caught a little crap about an interview recently about Daniel Reutteger, the man about whom the movie "Rudy" was written. Joe was on the team as a QB then (don't recall if Joe was starter or a 2nd string player then).

Back in the 80's, the NFC West wasn't so great either. Remember, you had the L.A. Rams, New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons in that division. Those teams weren't so great. The Rams were 2nd best in that division with 7 trips to the playoffs. in that decade. 0-2 in the NFC conference game. The Patriots are in a similar situation, like you inferred. Bills are not good. Dolphins are not good and the Jets.....well....the circus has yet to leave town. Joe Montana was Brady's favorite player growing up, so Brady did emulate him. They are very similar in nature. Both QBs have a difficult time when they are pressured. The Giants of '86 and '90 proved that, KO'ing Joe in both post season games. While, the Giants of '07 and '11 did not KO Tom Brady, they did pressure Brady to the point where he could not function the way he normally does. Much like Joe when he got hit. When Jim Burt nailed him in the NFC Divisional round and LT picked off Montana and scored, I thought Burt killed Joe. He nailed him and he went flying, curled in a fetal position and did not move. So there are similarities. While Joe Montana was a great QB, I would probably want someone like Brady under center for my team, just because he is a little bit more durable than Montana....especially if you are facing a defense like the Giants in the 80s. Yes, Brady did miss the entire 2008 season due to an injury. But then again, if you put Brady in the 80s, and he faced our D back then, he'd probably end up with a short career. I don't know. Both QBs are great. It is a tough comparison. Enjoy the remainder of the NFL season gang!

as well they should ....Brady just passed Montana on the for most career postseason wins and Brady never had the likes of Jerry Rice , Roger Craig and a Charles Haley type of passrusher on the D' too....plus 50 touchdowns in a single season....if Brady gets another SB ring he"s got Joe beat for sure